They must have been a sight for sore eyes to the soldiers on the beach Little Friends as wave after wave of fighters, bombers, and paratrooper-stuffed transports, some towing gliders, passed overhead, all of them adorned with black and white painted stripes. The invasion was on, and many of the fighter pilots expecting a slugfest were disappointed by the dismal numbers that showed up. But there were still OVER THE BEACH plenty of targets both on the ground and in the air for those lucky enough to be at the THE FIGHTERS GET DOWN AND DIRTY right place at the right time. Follow along with these “little friends” about the historic day known as D-Day: the 6th of June, 1944. BY JAMES P. BUSHA

One of the most colorful fighters of WW II, Lt. Ike Davis's Tarheel Hal' was attached to the 366th FS, 358th FG in the 9th AF. P-47 "Jugs" were superb in the behind-the-lines role of ground attack on D-Day. This aircraft is owned and operated by the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, TX. (Photo by Scott Slocum)

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the war it was a piece of cake to shoot up locomo- tives and freight cars; that was until the Germans added “Q-cars” (like Q-ships) to the mix. They looked like any other freight car until the sides dropped and exposed quad 20mm cannons able to fire in all directions. Our loss rate of fighters shot up dramatically with these Q-cars. Strafing trains became dangerous work and a lot less fun! Live Bait: Fighting with the Pioneer Mustang Group By Captain Clayton “Kelly” Gross 355th Fighter Squadron, , 9th Air Force ecause of the war, new fighter groups were forming at a rapid pace. With 65 hours of B P-39 time under my belt, I was assigned to the newly formed 354th Fighter Group and be- came a flight commander with the 355th Fighter Squadron. We continued to train in the P-39 un- and lower surfaces. It looked fast just sitting on Above: First Lt. Kelly Gross of til we received our orders to ship out and head to the ground! the 355th FS sits in the cockpit of his P-51B Mustang at the England, where we would join the fight. Although After spending two days going over a very thor- Everything that could fly was 354th FG's base at Lanshenden, called into action on D-Day. we flew Airacobras, we were told we would not ough cockpit checkout and some last-minute de- England, during May 1944. The Lightnings were greatly be flying them in combat, but instead would be mands by my instructor to emphatically, “Leave outnumbered by other Allied flying a “new fighter” that was just coming on the dive brakes alone,” I was sent on my way to Below: C-51B Mustang s/n fighters and their most 43-12451 GQ+I Peggy has important contribution may line. We arrived in England in early November check out this new thoroughbred. This was defi- 75-gallon drop tanks fitted on have been the F-5 versions in of 1943, and that’s where I met the airplane of nitely no P-39! I guess I had become spoiled with by Sgt. Segar and SSgt .Smith the photo recon role. (Photo by my dreams: the P-51 Mustang! Actually, the first tricycle-gear airplanes and had to go back to my at Boxted, England, during April John Dibbs/planepicture.com) 1944. "Peggy" was SSgt Smith's model I checked out in was the dive-bomber ver- early tail-dragger days to taxi the Apache without wife while the left side of the sion called the A-36 Apache. This early model, hitting something. The A-36 had a long, slender P-51B carried the name Live with the Allison engine, had only three propeller nose and you couldn’t see out the front end. We Bait! (Photos courtesy of Jack blades, had machine guns in the nose and wings, had to “S” turn from side to side until we were Cook) Twin-Tailed Trouble beaches, shoot it down — no questions asked. and had dive brakes embedded in both the upper ready for takeoff. I felt the power to be somewhat Captain Stanley P. Richardson, Jr Destroy anything that is not a P-38 entering your 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force assigned patrol area.” n early June of 1944, my original P-38J, CL-X, We departed our base at Wormingford very late had been wrecked by a fellow pilot while I in the afternoon. The weather was terrible with I was on leave. I returned to see my pride and low ceilings and heavy rain as we struck out for joy lying on its belly from a combat encounter. our patrol area. From 1,500 feet, I saw countless My bunkmate, who was at the controls of my numbers of boats of all shapes and sizes all over Lightning, told me he had an engine shot out the channel heading for . What a sight! while tangling with the Luftwaffe and made it all We orbited the beaches and I saw some sporadic the way back to base in England when he got cut gunfire, but nothing that would compare to the off by a landing B-17. With wheels down, flaps next day. We landed well after dark and trudged out, and only one prop turning, he ran out of to our bunks for some rest. options, raised the gear, and bellied it in. Thank- It was short-lived, however, because very early fully, with a war going on, there were many P-38s the next day, June 6, we were rolled out of our sitting around waiting to be assigned. bunks at 3:00 a.m. and, after eating breakfast and I was issued a new P-38 and my ground crew receiving our briefing, we were once again over got it ready to fly. Unfortunately, the day I was the beaches by 5:30 a.m. supposed to give it a test hop, everything was There were P-38s all over the sky with the 20th grounded so the ground crews could paint black and the 479th Groups milling around overhead and white stripes on our airplanes — invasion with us. There was not a German airplane in the stripes. I would have to perform double duty on sky that we saw, but had one shown up, it would my next flight, a combat mission and test hop all have been torn to shreds with the combined fire- rolled into one. power of our cannon and machine guns we car- On June 5, I was slotted to fly a night mission ried in our noses. I flew three missions on D-Day over the English Channel to cover the invasion and am proud to say the Allied air forces owned beaches along the French coast. The P-38s were the airspace above the beaches. But as our troops selected because they were extremely recogniz- on the ground moved inland, we followed from able with twin engines and twin tails, and noth- above and went after targets of opportunity. ing else looked like them. Our instructions were Personally, I liked going after trains, but the simple: “If you see anything flying over the Germans didn’t take too kindly to that. Early in

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similar, especially with the familiar Allison en- fighting in the Eagle Squadrons after the Battle of "STAY WHERE gine out in front of me (instead of behind) like Britain. The thing I remember most was that he it was in the Airacobra. But once airborne, it was emphasized to us that during a head-on attack, YOU’RE AT AND I’LL quite different. I could tell right away that it was the guy who broke first would be at a disadvan- much more responsive and lighter on the aile- tage. I silently thought it would be more of a dis- CLIMB ABOVE YOU rons. After two flights in the A-36, I was deemed advantage if we rammed into one another! INTO THE SUN AND ready to check out the rest of the squadron pilots. We continued to train, and this time it was in Baptism of fire THEN HOPEFULLY WE the P-51A models — same as the A-36 but with- On December 11, 1943, I flew my first combat CAN DRAW SOME out dive brakes. We only spent a couple of hours mission — a B-17 escort over Germany. Some of on the A model before the more powerful P-51Bs the guys in the squadron already had nose art on ACTION.” arrived in mid-November of 1943. From then their Mustangs, and at first, I was going to put my on, the 354th FG would always be known as the wife’s nickname, “Lil Pigeon,” on it. The prob- Pioneer Mustangs — the first U.S. Army Air Force lem was, it had a history of bringing bad luck. I group to take the new Mustang into combat. had given my first P-39 that name and someone made a wheels-up landing. The second P-39 suffered a worse fate when the pilot cart- wheeled it. The third time was not the charm when another pilot crashed that one as well. I agonized over it until the name came to me on one of my missions. We had been out on an es- cort and I became separated from the group. I was able to latch onto another Mustang flown by Bob Stephens as we turned for home. Bob sudden- ly called me over the R/T and said, “You stay where you’re at and I’ll climb above you into the sun and then hope- fully we can draw some ac- tion.” Although I relished the thought of tangling with the Luftwaffe, I wasn’t too thrilled with being the lure. I replied to Bob, “What the heck do you think I am? Live bait?” He just said yes, and because he outranked me, that’s what we did. My neck was never the same after turning it from side to side looking for an attack- Ground crews from the 401st BG The P-51B was an entirely different animal. It ing German! When we got back, I had my crew give a newcomer to the ETO the was powered by the well-built and reliable Rolls- chief paint the name “Live Bait” on the side of once-over in December 1943 shortly after the introduction Royce Merlin engine, and instead of getting tired the Mustang. Our missions increased during that of the P-51B to the pioneering above 12,000 feet, it only became stronger as it time frame as things were really getting busy dur- 354 FG that would soon provide literally took us to new heights. The B model had ing the spring of 1944. the long-range fighter escort to four propeller blades instead of three, but only targets deep in Germany. (Photo courtesy of Stan Piet) carried four guns instead of six. With less weight, Work up to the big day! we were able to carry more gas and we could now Our group continued to fly escort missions dur- escort the bombers to and from the target area. ing the entire month of May 1944. You could tell With the entire group checked out and equipped something was in the works as more and more Bud Anderson and his well with P-51Bs, we were moved to our first airfield ships were seen in and around the harbors of known P-51B, Old Crow, were hyper-active over the beach called Boxted, near Colchester. Before we went England, and countless supplies filled up their although he, like other fighter on our first combat mission we were visited and docks. Most of my time was spent over Germany pilots, was frustrated that instructed by the commanding officer of the 4th at places like Berlin, Frankfurt, and Magdeburg as the Luftwaffe had declined joining the party. (Photo by Jim Fighter Group, Colonel Don Blakeslee. He was al- the bombers continued to pound the Axis hard. Koepnick/EAA) ready considered an “old hand” as he had been The Germans, however, did not simply lie down

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I tacked onto a 109. Closing fast, I let him have with poor results, getting only near misses and a Like the AD Skyraider and A-10 Warthog it at less than 100 yards. He turned over slowly as few on the track. We then strafed it and allowed after it, the P-47 earned the everlasting thanks of the GIs below for the role they flames shot out from beneath his engine cowling. it to blow off steam. While the rest of the section played in . (Photo by John I saw no parachute, and he crashed below. I was was working it over, I moved north and located Dibbs/planepicture.com) one away from becoming an ace. a loco in a small marshaling yard in Le Hutte. I By the end of June, the Pioneer Mustang Group moved in on it and got a considerable number had already shot down 370 enemy aircraft. And of strikes all over it. It practically blew up. While we weren’t done yet! With over 200 combat hours my wingman Lt. Massa was strafing it, I found under my belt, I was sent home for 30 days of rest another in the other end of the yard, which I also and relaxation. There would be plenty of war left got. I got dozens of strikes, as did Lt. Massa, but when I returned. it was cold. I then took my flight up the line to Alencon Captain Gross ended the war with six victories dur- and out each rail line from the city for about 20 ing his two tours and owes his survival to the P-51 miles without sighting any rail traffic other than Mustang. The Pioneer Mustang Group was officially two locos in the marshaling yard at Alencon, credited with 701 aerial victories and was crowned which I passed up due to the presence of many the top-scoring Fighter Group of the European Theater civilians in the immediate area who were waving of Operations. at us. At this time, my Red Leader sounded off on Big Stud a gaggle of Fw 190s on the deck moving south Lt. Col F. C. Gray near the city. I finally saw them and tagged on, 78th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force passing him and coming up on tail-end Charlie. June 6, 1944 Encounter report; Plan “Stud” 1540 hours I was catching the German without water injec- near Alencon tion until he threw his supercharger in when I led the 78th Group flying P-47s to the Alen- had hit mine. I caught him easily and he started con area with the mission of destroying of turning. All those boys I taught back at Matago- I lines of communication. We arrived over the rda (a bombing and gunnery range in ) area at 12,000 feet and stooged around a couple would have got a kick out of my sorry deflection An unassigned P-47D-22 from and take our attacks lightly. On May 28, the that was having engine troubles — probably due of holes in the overcast. My wingman saw a train shooting. I finally got him going straight and got the 63rd FS, 56th FG taxis out Luftwaffe thickened the skies over Germany as to all the cannon and machine gun rounds it ab- and I sent him down for it, following on his wing four pretty good bursts into him. He jettisoned from its Station 150 Boxted hardstand outfitted with a pair A badly wounded First Lt. Jake swarms of fighters, like fireflies on a hot summer sorbed from Luftwaffe attacks. Suddenly, an Me since I had not seen it. We broke out at about his canopy as his engine cut and started out. I of 215 gal. steel ferry tanks. Blazicek of the 367th FS 358th night, came roaring into our bomber formations. 109 was coming in fast from 6 o’clock, hell-bent 3,000 feet and dropped our bombs at the train was about to overshoot him and skid out to the (Photo courtesy of Stan Piet) FG is lifted from the cockpit of I picked out an Fw 190 and almost got him be- on finishing him off. I rolled the Mustang over his P-47D s/n 42-76436 CP+D at A-3 airstrip, France. First Lt. fore I had to disengage for fear of ramming an- and shoved my throttle forward. I was still over Blazicek's Thunderbolt was hit other fighter that crossed closely in front of me. 200 yards away when I noticed the 109 let loose hard by light flak while strafing a Separated from my flight, I latched onto another with his cannon and machine guns. I responded German vehicle column on June 16, 1944. (Photo courtesy of Mustang as we set a course for home. On our way with my own machine guns and saw them tear Jack Cook) out, our flight of two encountered a stricken B-17 into his wing root and cockpit area; he snapped over and dove straight down be- fore crashing. I flew two missions on D-Day, and although we didn’t encoun- ter any German airplanes, the scene below on the beaches of Normandy was surreal. There were ships of every shape and size out in the channel with landing craft zig-zagging back and forth. Intense ground fire and flak were everywhere, and we did what we could to help the guys on the ground. We continued to fly in support of our advancing troops, some- times three missions a day as they pushed inland and pushed the Germans back. On June 14, we were escorting some B-26 Marauder medium bombers over France and the Luftwaffe finally showed back up. We had a heck of a fight and

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56th FG’s CO David Schilling’s Hairless Joe waits on the hardstand at Boxted, post-D-Day, with a pair of M-10/M-8 4.5 in. triple-tube Bazooka launchers. The M-8 un-guided folding fin rocket was operationally inaccurate but a solid hit could devastate a fixed target. (Photo courtesy of Stan Piet)

side, when Lt. Massa gave four aircraft that I thought were Me 109s. I called him a burst. He overshot my flight leader and dove on them. After about him, eased up alongside, a two-minute chase, I was close enough to rec- and watched him labori- ognize the aircraft as P-51s. I started to turn, as ously crawl out, his jacket I intended to rejoin the squadron, when I saw and helmet on fire. He got four or five Me 109s coming from the east at 100 out about 600 feet and his feet. I reversed my turn to meet them. The near- chute worked beautifully. est one of the enemy aircraft apparently spotted I then broke for another, me against the ground and peeled toward me in a but just as I was about to shallow dive. The rest of them proceeded to climb try my deflection shoot- in a wide, slight turn. I turned with the attacking ing again, my second ele- enemy aircraft and had no difficulties in closing ment leader Lt. Caulfield on it. I had switched the water on, and after a beat him up. The Ger- couple of seconds, I began to overtake the enemy man turned into me and aircraft. I slid on the outside and then kicked the snapped into the ground, bottom-rudder, getting on the enemy’s tail. I fired making one hell of a and didn’t see the strikes, but the enemy aircraft beautiful explosion that I reacted by tightening the turn. I pulled some caught on my camera — more deflection and gave him another burst. The Capt. Boleslaw "Mike" Gladych only now they tell me the damn thing jammed! enemy aircraft spun and hit the ground. of the 61st FS climbs into I claim three of the damaged locos as shared In the meantime, the remaining enemy aircraft the cockpit of his P-47D Thunderbolt at Boxted, England, and one destroyed Fw 190 as shared with Lt were scared by eight P-51s, which came from during May 1944. (Photo Massa. I also confirm the destruction of one Fw the south. I tried to get another one of the Me courtesy of Jack Cook) 190 by Lt. Peter A. Caulfiel. I think these were 109s. I pulled up, closed in from underneath and the ones (the Fw 190s) Spicer referred to when he astern, and fired a short burst at the last one. The said, “They fly like Basic students.” Hun emitted some black smoke but kept flying. I Hit the deck! abandoned the pursuit because my gas was run- ning low. I headed for home, flying on the deck. 2100 hours near Croisy I claim one Me 109 destroyed. By Polish Air Force Captain Michael Gladych  Encounter Report-June 6, 1944 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force The combat reports that debriefing officers had to was flying Red 3 (Whippet Red Three) to Capt filter through after D-Day, and the following weeks Rutkowski. We were circling the convoy on could fill a very fat book. They give a three-dimen- I the road (in P-47 Thunderbolts) when I saw sional window into the fall of Fortress Europe. 36 flightjournal.com